Headlines

Romney promises no abortion legislation

“There’s no legislation with regards to abortion that I’m familiar with that would become part of my agenda,” he told the Des Moines Register in an interview posted on the newspaper’s website.

The former Massachusetts governor said he would instead use an executive order to reinstate the so-called Mexico City policy that bans American aid from funding abortions. President Barack Obama waived the order soon after taking office.

The Romney campaign sought to walk back the comments soon after they were posted on the Register’s website. “Gov. Romney would of course support legislation aimed at providing greater protections for life,” spokeswoman Andrea Saul said, declining to elaborate.

Blowback

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I am truly heartened by all the pragmatic, realistic responses. We’re finally realizing that the SCOTUS made this mess and only the SCOTUS can get us out again. Hopefully after which abortion will be remade as a per-state issue to prevent another Roe from happening ever again.

Shoutouts especially to hawkdriver, buckeye, and cmsinaz.

We’re on a roll, especially with independents. Want to run them off and lose the chance to appoint Scalias and Alitos? Start talking about abortion.

BuckeyeSam on October 10, 2012 at 9:29 AM

Bingo. Romney is picking up independents all over the map like me, who’ve realized that the American public can’t comprehend a 3rd party and now is literally “do or die” time.

It is ALL about the economy. All. If this is offensive to God and/or my fellow Christians I apologize in advance…but I’ve come to the conclusion that our economic survival takes priority over abortion. Because if we go bankrupt, every social issue in the book will become meaningless and NOT in a good way.

Ignore us or try and go on an anti-abortion crusade now and you’ll lose everything. Independent voters for certain, possibly the election and the entire nation to follow.

Moesart on October 10, 2012 at 11:51 AM

People ARE learning, Slow Moe, which you’d know if you’d bothered to read any posts before yours.

We gain nothing by throwing the liberals a wedge issue while we’re doing so well with this ticket. Another battle, another day. Never give up the issue, but now is not the time.

hawkdriver on October 10, 2012 at 9:18 AM

This.

Mimzey on October 10, 2012 at 11:05 AM

Obsessed socons doing everything they can to keep Obama employed.

Bush never made any big push in eight years. I don’t remember him saying much about it at all beyond the lip service during campaigns to keep socons happy.

A fed ban isn’t happening. How many years have to go by before you learn?

Moesart on October 10, 2012 at 11:51 AM

Does anyone really believe that Romney will lose votes if he doesn’t mealy-mouth enough on the abortion issue?

Contrary to the devoutly-held beliefs of the left, abortion is a losing position for their side. Unless Romney somehow gets spooked into declaring a grand crusade to imprison rape and incest victims and force them to carry their children to term, being pro-life is to his political advantage.

Just make a simple statement that you are firmly on the side of life, express confidence that one day the entire nation will come to that same opinion, and pledge to promote the pro-life position on those limited issues where you can do something.

Then move on.

The unhinged left will scream, but they’ve been losing this ground for a generation now.

It is ALL about the economy. All. If this is offensive to God and/or my fellow Christians I apologize in advance…but I’ve come to the conclusion that our economic survival takes priority over abortion. Because if we go bankrupt, every social issue in the book will become meaningless and NOT in a good way.

Ignore us or try and go on an anti-abortion crusade now and you’ll lose everything. Independent voters for certain, possibly the election and the entire nation to follow.

MelonCollie on October 10, 2012 at 5:54 PM

Classic false choice. It’s not a case of economic survival OR support life. It’s utterly disingenuous and more than a little ridiculous to claim that a pro-life position will cause Romney to lose.

He would be hurt far more if he waffled back and forth trying not to offend anyone.

Abortion has been sanctioned by SCOTUS, it seems to me that it would be better to just change tactics and make sure women know that they and their baby have options if the pick life.

Cindy Munford on October 10, 2012 at 11:55 AM

I’m not quite that fatalistic about it, but can’t say that your view is unreasonable either.

The brutal facts are that overturning a case on the scale of Roe is a huge task in the first place and our culture now takes abortion as practically a sacred right. This really isn’t something we can fix by the regular political channels; either we overturn it directly via SCOTUS or by gathering a grassroots campaign to make the Tea Party look sick.

Based on decades of evidence, I can safely say that politicians – even POTUS candidates – are not going to stop abortion. And likely not the SCOTUS either. (do you see any real overturn court case going?) I really think this is a cultural and spiritual issue that politics just cannot fix.